Hard Knocks: Training with Wonder Woman
by Mr.Moe
Summary: Superboy begins training with Wonder Woman Training the son of Superman was no ordinary task...but Diana was no ordinary woman.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: This is fiction is will have a pairing of Superman and Wonder Woman. They are in their early 40's and the Justice League has been around for ten years.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters as they are the property of DC Comics.**

"Hard Knocks"

Chapter One

Having had grown tired of Conner's arrogance and always boasting that the "team" was no challenge for him, and that he no longer needed to train with them Black Canary and asked Diana to take over his combat training. Training Superman's Son was no easy task but Diana was no ordinary woman.

"Yield", she said..

"No..." Conner forced himself up with his hands. He looked up at Wonder Woman. She had her hair pulled back into a loose braid that hung down her back, that swung whenever she moved. He thought it was funny that she reminded of him that the character from the video game that KF introduced him to Tomb Raider. But this was no video game... this was real and Diana, the Amazon Princess was no joke. Today instead wearing hear normal Amazonian Battle garb, she wore a white tank top with small El family crest on the back, black Capri pants, Grecian sandals and greaves and her Amazon bracelets.

Conner stood up, his legs were shaking, and he saw "Christmas lights" all around him and thought he might just fall back down.

"Not….finished…. yet "he said, his breathing hard and labored."

Not yet?" Wonder Woman smiled and attacked him again.

Conner loved coming to the Fortress of Solitude his dad's home, now Diana's home as well. As his dad Superman and Diana were together. He thought he knew the place well, from the zoo to the science labs but this was new. This was Diana's personal training room. Superman had reconstructed the fortress to give Diana a place where she could train without having to go back to Themyscira, or Watchtower. Diana's training room was a huge arena with a distinct Greco-Roman feel to it. There were swords and shields and battle axe's lining every wall, heavy weight bags of all sizes, a Chinese Wooden man and various pieces of exercise equipment, mats and free weights. Kal-El was so attentive to the details of the room that he even requested from the Queen of the Amazons to be allowed to bring sand from the island to give Diana a stronger sense of home. Conner was speechless by the stature of the room.

Wonder Woman had told Conner that she would be conducting his training from now on and that they were going to have a match, until one of them had signaled Missio to the other by raising two fingers in the language of the arena, acknowledging defeat. Conner having been developed at Cadmus to be a living weapon Conner was well versed in ancient Greek and Roman fighting styles, he had volumes of combat techniques imprinted into his mind. But as Superboy would find out book knowledge and practical application were two very different things.

"Begin!"

Wonder Woman blurred toward Conner. Having trained with Kid Flash Superboy thought he could handle someone with super speed. He met her charge, with a shoulder and collar tie-up like a wrestler. He could feel her strength, then with one swift move he was on his back staring up at the ceiling.

He had gotten up quickly and feeling more than a little annoyed as Wonder Woman had swept his legs out from under him. But then had found himself in a crushing full nelson and with Diana's legs wrapped around his torso, her legs locked so tightly he could hardly breath.

Being part Kryptonian pain wasn't something Conner wasn't used to. Of course he could feel the impact from blows but pain was an entirely different subject and Diana was a master teacher. She wrenched his neck and shoulders the pain was excruciating. Conner leapt into the air with hopes of crashing Diana into the ceiling to break her vise-like grip. Wonder Woman being the master combatant that she was easily read his intentions. Using her own powers of flight she overwhelmed his leap, released her leg lock and threw Conner hard into the ceiling. She knew that he could take it. Today would be a test of just how durable Conner really was. Today she would push him, today she would test him, and she hoped that he would not be found wanting. Superboy crashed down on to the floor. Sphere rolled into a defensive position in front of the fallen Superboy, and revved its engine-like voice in defiance of Wonder Woman who floated down from the ceiling with her arms crossed over her chest. She was glad to see how loyal his spherical friend was to him. She saw Conner getting to his feet. She heard him order Sphere to stay back.

"This is my fight!" he said.

For the merest second Conner's eyes flashed crimson red as Clark's does before he fires his heat vision. The Amazon prepared to deflect the beams with her Amazon Bracelets but the attack didn't come. Instead Superboy kept his distance and began to circle her as she floated to the floor.

"Sometimes Superboy… your opponent won't have to be close to reach you and you'll be just as dead" she said as she landed.

Quicker than Superboy could think Wonder Woman had drawn her golden lasso and ensnared him. She used her lasso has a whip which gave her incredible control. With a quick jerk Conner was at her mercy. His arms bound to his sides, Conner was helpless!

Diana screamed "GET OVER HERE!" and pulled Superboy into a powerful right uppercut which launched him into the air. Not thru with her lesson of pain, Diana yanked down on her lasso. Conner struggled against his bonds, but to no avail. Diana's golden lariat was unbreakable.

"GET DOWN HERE!"she said pulling him back to the floor. Conner had regained enough of his senses to land on his feet but still being entangled in Wonder Woman's lariat Conner was completely vulnerable. And today Diana was giving no quarter; she leveled the Boy of Steel with a flying knee to the abdomen.

Wrenching and gasping for air. Conner didn't think he had ever been hit quite so hard. Diana released him from her lariat which sent him spinning away like a child's top.

Wonder Woman had loudly demanded that he "get up!"

Pain was Conner's new best friend that didn't put him off though. It only made him more determined to get back on his feet. Diana smiled! Sphere gave a load shrill as Conner stood up. Wonder Woman nodded her head in approval.

"Again" she said. Conner tried to move into a fighting stance, but his body refused to respond. Wonder Woman flew towards him, grabbed him around the waist from behind and cruelly slammed him to the floor. Then before he coud catch his breath Diana wrapped her legs around his throat in a crushing triangle leg choke accompanied by an arm bar which actually dislocated his right shoulder. For Conner the match has over has he held up two fingers signaling his surrender before he passed out. "Habet hoc Habet." Diana said. Greek for he is done.

Conner awoke in the med-lab to the soothing rays of a solar generator. Diana had reset his dislocated shoulder and Conner was actually feeling much better his kryptonian cells were drinking in the solar rays from the generator. Though he was quite bruised he would be up and around in no time. Diana had showered and changed while Conner was unconscious. She now wore a pair of grey sweats and bedroom slippers and her hair was loose. She looked completely different when she wore normal clothes. She looked like a mom. Perhaps it was because when she was in costume all you saw was the tiara, the bracelets and the symbol, she was an ICON.

"Here drink this…. It will help", Diana said handing Conner and glass full of some purple liquid.

"What is it Conner asked?" "It's full of electrolytes and carbs" she said.

Taking the glass, Conner down the beverage in one gulp. Swinging his legs of the med-bed Conner stood to his feet. He rotated his shoulder and found he had no pain.

"What happened" he asked?

"We had a good first training session… right up until the point you passed out," she said with a slight bit of amusement.

"I did not pass out!" He said adamantly.

"Conner, Do I have to break out my magic lasso?"

"Sorry," he mumbled.

"You hungry"?

"Starving"….Conner replied

"I'd be glad to whip something up for you if like" she said.

"NO! No.. no.. don't put yourself out" Conner replied almost startled. It was a known fact that Diana though she was one of the most powerful people on the planet, Diana was not the best cook. Clark, his dad was working on it but Diana wasn't there yet.

Diana eyed him suspiciously but then said "Suit yourself".

You staying the night?" she asked.

"Not this time besides…. I gotta get back to the Mount before Canary has a conniption. It's Lasagna night."

Escorting Conner to the South exit, Diana put her arm around the young hero's shoulder. Reaching the exit Diana asked "I hope I wasn't too hard on you, same time next week?"

Conner flashed that boyish smile that he and Clark shared as he rubbed the back of his neck. And swayed back and forth as a child would who really didn't want to answer and adult.

"Conner? Next week!" Diana said.

Conner replied "Wild horses couldn't keep me away! And next time I'm gonna win".

Giving Diana a hug Conner leapt onto his Tri-Cycle flyer and was off.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Saturday Morning, Diana awoke in her large bed at the fortress of solitude. The place was quiet and cold. Kal-El was gone. One hour pasted before she could even drag herself to sit on the edge of the bed. He was gone and she was alone. She thought about it over and over but there was nothing that she could have done to change what had happened and she would simply have to go on…. without him. She was one-third of the Trinity, the league needed her and Conner needed her. She remembered that day very well; the day three Green Lanterns showed up on her doorstep and everything changed. Hal Jordan, John Stewart and Kyle Rayner were all friends to her but they were the reason for her current melancholy. She picked-up Kal's pillow and hugged it tight, it had his manly scent on it.

"Damn them…" she said.

Slipping on a silk robe that Kal had given her; she rose from the bed, and headed towards the bathroom. The lights turning on automatically as she entered the room. She looked into the bathroom mirror. Her hair was all over her head. The nights she slept without Kal-El were restless. She had gotten use to his higher body temperature, and the way his hands would always find their way to cup her breast. Letting the robe fall to the floor Diana entered the shower. Her mind was flooded with thoughts of Kal on all the love-making sessions they had in this shower. She could see where they had cracked some of the crystal shower tiles in one of their escapades. Her heart-ached. It had been one month since Superman had been gone and it was getting any easier. The scalding hot water did little to remove the tension in Diana's body. It only served to remind her how much he loved her as he did little things around the fortress like increasing the water temperature to accommodate her simplest wish. Finishing her shower, Diana braided her hair, and put on her work out attire.

Superboy sat in his room at Mount Justice. He was looking at the Christmas gift his father; Superman had given him, a pair of eyeglasses. Clark explained that the eyeglasses he gave Conner were the very same ones he used throughout high school. Conner appreciated the gift but still didn't understand the sentiment. Being the clone of Superman himself, Conner would never need glasses.

He remembered what Clark told him, "People see what they want to see". He said "that no one would believe, that a mild-mannered, eye-glass wearing, slightly awkward reporter was one of the most powerful people on the planet."

"Appearances Conner, can be deceiving and that simple deception could be used to protect the people you love from harm."

"It's worked for me" he said with a sly grin.

That was ten months ago, now Conner sat in thoughtful consideration of what he had been entrusted with, a legacy, and a family. The anger that Conner had towards Clark was gone. It was replaced by sincere feels of admiration and understanding. He belonged now. Clark had welcomed him into his life. It was rough transition though considering the fact that Conner was created to replace Superman if he fell or destroy him if he ever went rogue.

Conner didn't know what prompted the change in Kal-El, but he knew how accepted it made him feel. In the ten months that followed, Conner and Kal-El became inseparable, often with Diana in tow or acting as chaperone.

The Christmas holiday Conner spent with Clark, his parents, his cousin Kara, Diana and her sister Donna was super. He thought that Diana was somehow responsible for Clark's change of heart as she tended to have a remarkable effect on Kal-El. They welcomed him with open arms and Clark actually introduced him as his "son" and not his clone. This left Conner speechless, and Diana just smiled.

"Diana!" Conner suddenly snapped back to his senses.

"Oh no, I am late" he said. Placing the glasses back in their protective case he left the room.

Racing from his room to the landing bay, Conner ran into M'gann J'onzz, Ms. Martian. If not for the young Martians ability to phase though solid objects she would have been crushed into the cave's wall. Phasing back into the hallway she stopped him.

"Conner, where's the fire?" she asked.

"I'm sooo dead" he said.

"I was supposed to meet Diana at the Fortress for training 20 minutes ago".

"Not to worry my friend. I'll fly you there in the Bio-ship and we'll be there in minutes".

"Have you ever seen a mad Amazon?" he asked.

Ms. Martian thought about it for a second and then said…. "You're right, you're dead".


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Message from Oa (one month ago)

"They got him"… John Stewart cheered! Mongul, the Intergalactic conqueror and terrorist had been captured by the Green Lantern Corp. John Stewart, Green Lantern 2814.3 of Earth was on monitor duty at the Watchtower when the transmission from Oa came in.

"G.L .what's all the ruckus about?" Wally West, the Flash was at his side in an instant.

"Mongul has been captured" he said.

Kilowog, the Green Lantern Drill Sergeant, gave the report and stated that Mongul was to be put on trial for his intergalactic crimes. The Guardians had requested that the certain members of the Justice League be present at the trial and witnesses against the accused particularly Superman and the Martian Manhunter. Superman had defeated Mongul more times than anyone and the Martian Manhunter's telepathic powers were renowned even on Oa. They believe that with their testimony that sentencing would be swift.

"So Poozer… you and the rest of your lil gang need to get your butts to Oa on the double is that clear?" Kilowog out!

"Kilowog always did have a way with words…" GL thought to himself. The message came in at a good time as most of the founding members were already at the Watchtower for their monthly meeting. "The Gang" as Kilowog referred to them were Hal Jordan, the first Green Lantern of Earth, Kyle Rayner, the youngest of the terran Green Lanterns , and the wild card Green Lantern Guy Gardner. They too had encountered Mongol and would make excellent witnesses to his crimes and were well respected among the Leaguers.

"I am sure Big Blue ain't gonna like this" he said. Since He and Wondy have started their thing wild horses couldn't keep those two a part said the Flash.

"Well Clark is a professional so I'm sure he'll take the news well" said John. Not feeling half as confiedent as he tried to sound.

"Dude! Since the Doomsday Sanction, and now that Supes has a son do you really think he's gonna be excited about being off world"? I can't see wait to you tell Diana about this… the Flash laughed then sped out of the monitor room.

Shayera Hol, Hawkwoman entered the monitor room. She was John's shift relief and his girlfriend.

"So what was Flash on about" she asked. John pulled a Clark move, placing one hand on his hip and the other scratching the back of his neck.

The Guardians…uhmmm , Mongol was captured and me, the other Lanterns plus Superman and J'honn J'onzz are needed on Oa for the trial.

"That's really good news…. so when do you leave?"

Surprised ,"You mean you aren't mad?" John asked.

"It's your job….but you will owe me big time and I will collect." Grabbing him by his collar and pulling him into a passionate kiss. Breaking the kiss Shayera asked "So have you talked to Clark, Diana or J'honn yet?.

"No, But I was heading that way now…they in their usual place?" John asked.

Do you have to ask? She responded.

It was common knowledge the Clark and Diana could be found sparring in one of the training rooms after a League's meeting. In fact all the Founders would gather twice a month to discuss whatever was going on in the world, with the Team or League business. Today the meeting consisted of UN protocols and staff regulations. Amanda Waller, one of the U.S government's top "pitbulls" was pushing for stronger sanctions against the League because of the actions of a former member the League, Shazam. Shazam had renounced his League membership and quite literally taken over his home country of Kahndag. Capt. Atom was the Leagues "unofficial" government liaison, being a special agent of the president and having many friends in political office. Not being one of the Leagues Founders, Capt. Atom was often "stonewalled" when he would try to institute changes to the Leagues UN and membership Charter. Capt. Atom was also pushing for more governmental ties which many members felt would hinder the Leagues effectiveness. Countries without US affiliations or who shared different political views might feel threatened if they saw the League as agents of one government. The meeting got very tense at times as tempers flared for and against proposed changes were discussed. Capt. Atom would return time and time again to the old argument of Founders Privilege. This ordinance allowed founding members to choose replacements for them should they need to have a leave of absence. The chosen elect would have the full authority and priority of the founder replaced. Such was the case with Green Lantern John Stewart, who replaced Hal Jordan after he was stripped of his powers for a time. Once Jordan returned to active duty as a Green Lantern his Founder Privilege was restored without removing John Stewart's status. After 3 hours of deliberation the meeting adjourned with no clear ruling. Many of the member's teleported back to Earth, while others left to other parts of the Watchtower. The Cafeteria was a favorite hangout among the heroes, as it was always stocked with the best foods. The training rooms were further down the list of favorite places as Batman and Hawkwoman kept a strict requirement for training among the Leaguers and often the training rooms were more like dungeons. But two heroes looked forward to spending time there, it gave them the opportunity to really cut lose and they loved it, Superman and Wonder Woman.

They were always in sync. Perfect partners. Even their work out clothes complimented each other, her in red shorts, him in blue, both wearing white A-line t-shirts. Both breathing heavy; the sweat glistening from their bodies. Only she could push him this hard, only he could go the distance with her.

"Is that all you've got" she asked.

"Babe, I was just giving you a breather, you seem a little winded" He said as he pinned Diana to the floor, the shock wave from their impact reverberated throughout the entire floor. Clark had Diana's left arm behind her with the rest of his body weight holding her down on the mat.

"You don't really think you can keep me down like this do you?" She asked

"Well the thought had crossed mind my mind… along with a few other indecent ones" he said as he planted a kiss on her bare shoulder. "They don't call me the Man of Steel for nothing".

Diana grinned devilishly as she looked at Clark over her shoulder. Using her super agility Diana arched her back and kicked Clark in the back of the head with a scorpion kick which caused him to release his grip on her. Here there were no uniforms, no capes, no Superman, no Wonder Woman, only Clark and Diana working out, pushing each other to the limit and sometimes beyond. Diana was first to her feet as Clark's ears were still ringing from the heel kick she had just given him to the head. Diana leaped onto Clark while he was down. Ever the warrior she didn't want to lose her advantage and quickly attempted put him into half-nelson lock for a quick submission. Clark however was ready for her and was only feigning. Spinning onto his back Clark caught Diana by the waist in mid-air. Then using his superior strength launched Diana high towards the ceiling. Clark could see the surprise in her eyes as she rushed up from the floor. Diana was not only a masterful fighter; she was also a highly skilled flyer able to complete complex aerial acrobatics with grace and speed. Using her own moment Diana tucked her head and began to flip over so she could bring her knees down on Clark who she knew she could catch unaware. In an instant Clark was there though… again grabbing Diana by the waist. This time though he caught her at the apex of her flip which set her up perfectly for his next move… a power bomb. Diana made no attempts to correct her fall as Clark's speed hadn't given her a chance and slammed viciously to the floor.

The Flash who had been watching their entire sparring session via one of the closed security cameras scattered throughout the Watchtower, screamed and grabbed his head in astonishment.

"OH MY GOD, HE KILLED HER!"

Clark began floating down to where Diana had fallen….."Looks like I win this time Princess" he said with a smirk.

Diana didn't respond. Using his super hearing Clark checked to see if she was she trying to fake him out as he had just done. To his shock Diana didn't have a heartbeat and he could see she was not breathing.

DIANA! He screamed instantly appearing at her side. He began using his x-ray to check her for any internal bleeding or broken bones. This time his x-ray vision failed him. Diana begin born of the gods wasn't like a human but was more akin a magical being. No matter how hard he tried all he could see was light when he looked inside her. All of his worst fears came rushing into his mind. He gentle reached down to lift her from the floor for fear of injuring further when suddenly she grabbed him in a vise-like grip stronger than steel, head butt him in the nose, and flipped him to the floor.

She jabbed her thumb into that soft spot between his ear and jawbone. With her strength and skill Clark was instantly rendered unconscious. Out for less than a minute Clark opened his eyes to see Diana straddling him and rubbing his temples resting her elbows on his chest.

"That was a dirty trick" … he said

"I know…" she said.

"I thought …." he said.

"I know what you thought… and for that I apologize. But we can learn from this… Never count your enemy out until you are sure they are out."

Enemies? He asked with a puzzled look.

"Never! My Love!" she said.

Gazing into her forever blue eyes "I love you Diana" he said…

"You stink Kal! Deliberately breaking the tension.

"Well you aren't smelling all that fresh yourself Princess" Kal laughed.

Then with the unison that they had grown so accustomed to they both said "Shower!"

Getting off the floor, the most powerful couple in the League picked up their towels and water bottles and walked arm and arm out of the training room only to be met in the Hallway by Wally.

"You two damn near gave me a heart attack". He said

I'm a lot tougher than I look Wally…..but if you were so concerned about my well-being why didn't you come to my aid HMMM? Diana scolded him.

Wally stuttered and said " because…he's…Superman!"

"That he is" said Diana patting Kal on the chest and kissing him. "That is he".

"GAWF" Wally said, "you two should get a room"…..

Clark responded, "Uh that's where we were going until we were so rudely interrupted by you."

"Okay, okay," Wally said backing away with his hand up in surrender "I know when I'm not wanted besides watching you two just made hungry."

Diana said "Wally you're always hungry"

"True" Wally said "oh and by the way GL is looking for Blue, later guys I got a date with a steak! Then Wally was gone in a flash.

Clark said "I love that guy" shaking his head and chuckling to himself.

Just before they arrive at their quarters John Stewart stops them. "Clark you got a minute it's important?"

Diana said "Well it looks like I'll be showering alone and walked in their shared unit leaving Clark to talk to John.

Minutes later Kal entered the bathroom of the unit that he and Diana shared. The steam from Diana's shower engulfed the room. Taking off his work-out clothes Kal joined Diana in the shower.

Diana turned to him and said "So what was so all fired important as to prevent my man from joining me in the shower sooner. The water is almost cold…" Diana said.

Kal embraced Diana in his arms and gave her a deep passionate kiss. Feeling the warm of his body against her skin made Diana forget the waters temperature.

After their kiss Kal held her close and said "G.L. wanted me and J'honn to accompany him and the rest of the Green Lanterns to Oa. They've captured Mongul and are having a trial for him and want J'honn and I as witnesses for the prosecution.

Diana asked "how long will the trial last? Resting her head against his chest.

Clark said "According to John it should be pretty cut and dry. I would say about 10 days give or take."

Pushing him up against the shower wall, Diana said "10 days…well then I'm gonna need something to tied me over till you return… Teach me again why you're the Man of Steel."

The next morning the heroes gathered in the docking bay along with Powergirl (Karen Starr) and Superboy, whom Superman had teleported in so that he could talk with him before he departed. Though she was not a member of the League, Powergirl had been requested by the Guardians to join the other heroes on the trip to Oa as new information about Darkseid had come to light that would be a matter of importance to her. Considering that she had never been off world she thought that was puzzling. Nightwing (Dick Grayson) was receiving specific instructions from Batman, concerning the "Team" and their responsibilities. The Team fell under Dick's field leadership having been a former member himself. Dick had "graduated" from the "Team" and was now the leader of his fellow graduates now known as the Titans. Dick's fellow graduates were Red Arrow (Roy Harper) Green Arrow's former protégé, Raven Zatara, who was the daughter of Zatara the Magician and Zatanna's older sister, Static (Virgil Hawkins) Black Lightning's nephew, Powergirl and Aqualad who was summoned home to Atlantis to deal with a civil war at Aquaman's side.

Superman…"So while I'm away I want you to check in with your grandparents at the farmhouse speaking to Conner. I already let Ma know to expect you and I know you won't let me down, but I'm just saying…. Be there!

"Don't worry dad, I got this…responded Superboy.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Diana walked into her private training room, the temperature comfortable 85⁰ degrees. The motion sensors activated the lights and stereo as entered.

"Good Morning Diana" a female computerized voice said.

"Good Morning KANDCS". Kal's insistence on having a computer with a distinctive female voice was one of the things that she didn't understand but meant to talk to Kal about.

How can I assist you today? The voice asked.

Diana responded, "Play track 4 of Diana's workout please, and increase arena gravity by factor 1.

"Certainly" responded KANDCS. And immediately a beautiful aria started playing through the Fortress's audio system. II Dolce Suono from the opera Lucia Di Lammermour.

Diana sat Indian style crossed-legged on the floor of her home made arena. She could feel her muscles begin to tense as she adjusted to the increase pull of gravity. Her body weighted as much as a battleship as Kal's graviton machine was calibrated in millions the music played she rolled her head side to side, back and forth trying to relive the tension in her muscles. She stretched her arms out to her sides, over her head, then in front of her bowing her body towards the floor. Raising herself up, Diana moved into a press handstand with her legs still crossed her rhythmic breathing a testimony to her conditioning. Holding the position for ten seconds Diana moved in a straddle stretch her body in forty-five degree angle. Tucking her head Diana rolled forward and stood up. Extending her right leg Diana performed three side kicks, shin high, waist high and then head high hold the last kick for a ten count. She then repeated the sequence with her left leg. Lowering her leg she did two slow cart wheels and two back hand springs and finished in a back stance exhaling as she landed her hands guard positions. Diana continued stretching and contorting her body into complex yoga positions and martial arts stances. Her mind focused on her breathing and form which was exquisite. Diana had just completed the Garadasana, or eagle pose when there was a slight pause in the music and the tempo increased and at that very moment six Mangalore Warriors armed with Klingon Bat'leths materialized in Diana's private training area. Growling and snarling, they charged at her.

Diana smiled to herself and said "Clark you are such a geek! But I love you!" leaping into the mob of aliens Diana roared in excitement.

Superman had told Diana that he had a surprise for her as he had re-programmed their personal battle simulator to be more and challenging for them, but he never told her what changes he had made. He simply said "you'll see". One of Clark and Diana's first movie dates, Clark had invited Diana to the fortress for dinner and after dinner they watched the Fifth Element with Bruce Willis. It amused Clark how excited Diana got during the fight scene. He knew that Diana would appreciate a movie with a strong female character as well being able to identify with the character as she herself was new to man's world. She had a type of empathy with the character that few would understand. Clark would laugh to himself as he watched Diana critique the fight scene saying "she should have done this… or this would have been more effective… or that's not the way I would have done it. The movie quickly became one of Diana's favorites.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

Conner (Superboy) Kent sat in the bio-ship, he was anxious. His nerves were causing his left leg to jump. The tremors from his nervous twitch were causing the ship's stabilizer to constantly adjust. It was like flying through a thunderstorm.

"Conner if you don't stop that ship is going to eject you. You know how sensitive she can be" Miss Martian said. She always referred to the bio-ship as a female.

"I'm sorry M'gann" said Conner. "It's just that Diana is a real stickler for time, and I'm not sure what she is gonna do to me." Can we go any faster? He asked again?"

"No need my friend... we are here" she said gestured toward the cockpit window. Standing before them in gleaming awe and majesty was the Fortress of Solitude.

"Good Afternoon Miss M'orzz" a female voice came over the Bio-ship's intercom. "Welcome to the Fortress please continue on your current flight path and prepare to dock.

After landing the Bio-ship, Conner and M'gann headed towards Diana's training room. The fortress always amazed M'gann. She thought, being made of ice and crystal that it would be cold and uncomfortable, yet the temperature was always extremely pleasant. The sheer size and spectacle of the place was awesome as they seemed to past dozens of rooms before they arrived at Diana's training room. M'gann could sense Conner's anxiety even without a mental link. She could tell he was nervous. As they got closer to the door M'gann saw a shift in Conner demeanor. A quiet surge of power emanated from him. It was like electricity. The very hairs on the back of her neck stood up, and she got goose bumps from being near him. Conner took a deep breath then opened the door.

As he walked in he called out… "Diana"!

Diana had changed the configuration of the entire room. It no longer looked and an ancient Roman arena. Now it resembled a Japanese dojo, with hard wood floors and shoji screens. The walls of weapons remained and that damn sand circle that Conner had learned to hate, were the only things that remained since his last visit.

Diana hovered in the center of the room. Her arms folded across her chest as she looked down on Conner and M'gann. She was wearing in new battle armor forged by Hephaestus at Zeus' command. Her older red, white and blue star-spangled uniform was no more. Zeus, her father wanted her to represent more than a mere human country. She was the daughter of a god and her attire should reflect that. She was still the ambassador of Themyscria to the United Nations, but she was the daughter of Zeus and a champion of Olympus. Her new armor consisted of a golden breast plate, which covered her more fully from chest to neck than her former armor, white pants made of Olympian material stronger than steel, new bracelets, golden greaves and boots and a new tiara with a diamond instead of a ruby. She also had her Xiphos strapped to her side. Diana looked like a true warrior goddess. Conner was awe struck.

"You're late…"she said.

Conner had a lump in his throat. Before he could speak, M'gann stepped in front of him and spoke.

Looking up at Wonder Woman, "It's not his fault Diana…er.. Wonder Woman. I recently broke up with La'gann and I needed someone to talk to and Conner was there for me."

"I see" said Diana, as she floated down to the floor.

"Thank you for delivering Conner to me. You may go now."

M'gann could tell that by Diana's curtness that she was all business. Looking back Conner she shrugged her shoulders, shook her head and left.

"She cares about you…" Diana said placing her hand on Conner's left shoulder. "Enough to even risk telling a lie to me of all people."

"You knew?" Conner asked. Looking at her dumbfounded.

"Of course…" she replied.

"My lasso allows me the ability to discern the truth even when others attempt to lie, plus I heard her heart skip when she did it.

"Come! We have much to do today." She said as she guided him into the new training area.

"Are we training today? " He asked.

"I mean u look ….ready for war…"

"Another gift from my father, Zeus. I won't be wearing this." She said.

They had walked the center of the room, where Diana had some clothes for Conner folded and waiting for him.

"You will wear this…" she handed him the pile of clothes. "Change over there behind the shoji screen"

"And you?" He asked.

"Let me show you something" she said.

Taking a few steps back, she held out her arms and began to spin. In a blinding flash she changed out of the armor and was now wearing a black martial arts gi, her hair in a long single braid down her back.

"Wow", the color looks great on you" said Conner.

"But why is mine different?" He asked, looking down at the pile of white clothes.

"Black for the master and white for the student" she said

"When Bruce heard I was taking over your training, he sent over the uniforms. He said you might prefer wearing this as oppose to an Amazonian bodice and pteruges". She chuckled after she said that.

"Now go get changed and meet me in the center of the floor".

Conner did as she instructed and quickly changed. Diana was waiting for him. As he moved to the center of the room, Conner felt his pulse quicken. Diana stood in the center of the room with her back to him and hands clasp behind her. She was listening to his heartbeat.

Looking over her right shoulder she asked "Shall we begin?"

He nodded.

The two stared intensely at each other for before Diana bowed to him. Conner following her lead did the same. In seconds he felt himself careening through the air. He landed flat on his back. Diana had given a swift uppercut.

"NEVER TAKE YOUR EYES OFF YOUR OPPONENT….EVEN WHEN YOU BOW"…she said.

Conner replied "Okay…. I see how this is gonna go, ".

Slowly getting to his feet, Conner swiped at his nose. It wasn't broken but it was tingling and starting to get numb from being hit.

"Shall we try again?" she retorted.

Standing mere feet from each other the two combatants gave each other icy looks, their matching blue eyes unblinking. Having learned the hard way Conner was ready for her. Or so he thought.

Diana said to him "Today, we work on speed and defense. Some of Kal's villains have the ability to hurt him or steal his powers by touch like the Parasite. Avoid me if can".

For the next few minutes Conner avoided Diana's grasp matching and countering her every attempt to grab him. Dodging, ducking and leaping away then Diana sped up her attack. Every move came closer until she had him. Using her knowledge of Aikido Diana trapped him in a wrist lock and forced him to the floor. She placed her knee on his carotid artery. The pressure would have killed a regular human being. Conner was far from regular. He was the son of Superman and she knew he could take it. She just needed him to know that.

"What are you waiting for Conner?"

"You're faster than this…. She said angrily.

Conner gurgled " ur…kne..ish ..on mii ..troat"

Releasing him in a huff she demanded he get up.

Coughing lightly Conner got to his feet and resumed a fighting position, more like a boxer than a karate man.

"Okay then, hit me if you can" she said as she adopted a "tree yoga stance" (standing one leg with her hands together as if she were praying with her eyes closed).

Conner seized the moment. Sighing and grinning as he knew he had her this time…Conner threw a powerful punch right to Diana's head. Diana broke Conner's momentum by stepping toward him. She cut the distance between and blocked his punch. Next she countered his blow with an elbow strike to his mid-section and a judo throw which would send Conner slamming hard to the floor.

"… be like water" he remembered her telling him from one of their earlier training sessions.

"Flow" she said.

He did, holding her wrist as she slammed him to the floor he pulled Diana off balance. She cart-wheeled in front of him then rushed forward and smashed him in the face with her right knee.

"That was good, you almost had me" she said…

"Almo…" she couldn't finish her sentence as Conner rushed in and attempted to tackle her. She sprawled out her legs and held her ground. For tense moments the two were locked in position an Irresistible force, meeting an immovable object. Diana the masterful combatant that she was, shifted her weight then head-locked Conner, lifting him from the floor she spun his body around and slammed him to the floor. While he was on the floor she locked him in a "sleeper" choke hold. Conner struggled to get out of her grip. With Diana on his back he somehow managed to get to his feet. He could feel himself fading as he then went down to one knee. Diana's strength was incredible.

"Every disadvantage to your opponent is an advantage to you… use it" he could hear Diana's voice say. As he saw see the Fortress' lights fading Conner knew he was losing consciousness. Diana's hair had come loose from the tight braid that she always kept it in when they trained.

"Use it" her voice said in his head.

Grabbing a fist full of Diana's hair, he pulled her down and sent her rolling across the floor. With her hold broken, Conner could freely breathe again. Being part Kryptonian Conner's stamina was amazing. He resumed his attack on Diana. Their battle became more like a dangerous dance for hours he punched, kicked or attempted to grab and hold her. Everything he tried resulted in a devastating counter for him, a painful joint lock, a choke hold or a straight punch to the face. Though Conner was an excellent student and a quick learner Diana was clearly the master. Conner even tried to use some pressure point strikes to weaken Diana's limbs. She would only switch sides until she regained the feeling back in her arms or legs. She never stopped or gave an inch. She took everything he had and demanded more. They went at each other tooth and nail. Until Diana suplexed Conner after slipping behind one of his charging attacks, grabbing him by the waist and slamming to the floor again.

Conner's body ached, every muscle and fiber of his being hurt. He laid on the faced down on the hard, cool, wooden floor. He knew there would be no end to the torture he was enduring unless he signaled Missio the ancient Greco-Roman way of tapping out. No sooner than he thought about it Diana had pounced on him again like an angry lioness. She trapped his left arm between her legs clamped her hands together across his face and pulled back hard on his neck and back. Conner was in complete agony. Thirty seconds went by. Two minutes or maybe five more he could no longer tell as time seem to stop for him. Conner didn't want to give up. He didn't want to yield … not again. He was the son of Superman, the world's greatest hero. That must mean something. Clark would never give up, not under circumstance. And neither would he! The revelation of who he was gave Conner new strength. Electric arcs raced across his eyes as he fought through the pain of the crippling hold. Slowly Conner and Diana and lifted off the floor. Diana could feel power radiating from him. It was trying to hold onto a jet engine. With a Herculean effort Conner roared and released a wave of power that forced Diana to break her hold on him. The power wave from Conner sent Diana flying across the room and left a two foot crater around him. Landing in a three-point stance Diana watched as Conner stood before her. He was glowing, his hair slightly bristled and standing. Before she could speak Conner fell to the floor unconscious.

**Authors Note**: Okay folks here is my latest update. Been really busy and just haven't had time to get much writing in then my computer went on the fritz. You guys may have noticed that I changed Diana's costume. Well I never like the way DC handled her costume issues. Diana is sexy and powerful but really running around in a red, white and blue bikinis? Now don't get me wrong… Diana is the All-American girl but I've always seen her as more than an American Icon. I always like Stan Lee's approach to how Wonder Woman should clothed and have adapted that look for my Diana. Minus the cape and gold streaked hair. So you guys could google search that look for clarity. I was also inspired by DBZ in this one as my son and I watched a marathon of DBZ cartoons this weekend. So I hope you guys enjoyed it be updating again soon. Also check out my other stories as they are all linked.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

Diana watched over Conner for three days. For three days she did not leave his side at the Fortress of Solitude. She tended to his wounds and responded to inquiries from his friends, his teammates and even from his employer. Conner being under aged it was easy to cover for him at work. Plus a call from Bruce Wayne, who was on the hospitals' board of directors didn't hurt either. Now though Conner would have to deal with the ramifications of being a privileged kid. I mean it's not every day a multi-billionaire calls your boss to get you excused from work. In hindsight Diana may have thought that a bit much but she wasn't taking any chances. Conner was Diana's responsibility while Kal was away and she would not falter in his care. Conner's power explosion concerned her for many reasons. One, Conner's power wave seemed to have disrupted Conner's normal powers as deep bruises began to appear all over his body. No doubt a result of their training but considering Conner never bruised before. Second, she was able to take a blood sample, which up until today had been all but impossible with red sun radiation lights which weaken Kryptonian physiology. Thirdly, when Conner had manifested this strange new power Diana sensed something familiar about it that she couldn't quite put her finger on. It reminded her of being in the presence of her father Zeus. Being a clone Conner's biology was a mystery. Being incubated to a teenager rather than being born she had no idea how that sudden rush of power would affect him. Had he exhausted the spark of life that CADMUS had granted him? Was he a candle that had burned twice as bright but only half as long? It was time for some answers.

Michael Holt, Mr. Terrific had been halfway around the world, when Diana contacted him. She knew that in his time zone it was very late to call. When he had picked up, he thought that Wonder Woman was assigning him to another mission but then he realized that she wasn't using the normal operating channels but rather a private one. Diana's reluctance to tell him anything about the matter – besides that it was important - concerned Michael and he wasted no time in getting to the nearest JLA teleporter. However, she had simply told him that it was urgent and that she needed to meet him. Diana also contacted Victor Stone, Cyborg, who was just returning to the States after a vacation in North Africa. Within an hour Wonder Woman arrived at the Hall of justice. After being admitted through the front entrance, she made her way to the medical wing. There she found two of the league's top scientific minds, Mr. Terrific and Cyborg. They were standing before one of the many computers in the Hall. When Diana entered the med-lab, she saw that there were several examining rooms. The inner room and the main one were separated by a wall with a fair-sized window. John Henry Irons (Steel) had recently redesigned the med-lab for more scientific investigations.

"Hey Sis" Cyborg was the first to greet her.

Mr. Terrific looked up from the monitor, "Wonder Woman" he said.

Victor and Diana had grown very close over the past five years and he had considered her a big sister as she had always treated him with more warmth than the others and helped him adjust after he gained his powers. Diana smiled tightly at Cyborg.

Diana, said "thank you both for coming".

Cyborg responded, "You said this was urgent, how could I not? I didn't need a vacation anyway Ole Bats made me go…."

"So what did you find?" she asked.

Mr. Terrific turned the computer monitor he was working on toward them. He took the helm of explaining the reason Diana had called them "During the last couple of hours I've been looking through all the files on Project Kr. There wasn't much left after Robin and Kid Flash blew the lab when they rescued Superboy, but I was able to piece together this. Showing Diana DNA charts and gene-mapping sequences.

Then Victor added… "and I found something that was pretty interesting, in the blood sample you sent me. However, we wanted to run a few tests to make sure beforehand."

"We found something odd when we looked at Superboy's genetic structure. Victor pointed to the two models that Mr. Terrific had pulled up. "Here we can see what CADMUS added to enhance his growth". Cyborg pointed to several solid colored globes on the model. "This would be Superboy's DNA if he was an exact copy of Superman" he said. Diana nodded and then Michael pulled up a third model and enlarged the second, the second and third models were bi-colored but also different from one another.

Michael explained, "This is what his genetic makeup looks like. Not only does it consist of both Superman's DNA and the enhancers, but it also shows that there was a second donor. You see, compared to this last model, his DNA is closer to a normal child with two parents than a clone with one."

The two male crime-fighters exchanged a look as they could see that Diana's mind was drawing the same conclusion that they had been spent the last hours coming up with.

Mr. Terrific said, "Diana, your DNA was also used to create Superboy."

She had gone silent; whether from shock or not, she was not sure. For a few moments she stood quietly with her arms folded over her chest, uncertain of what to say and of how to react.

"Sis" Cyborg said "In a simply way of putting this, Superboy is -"

"-He's my son." Diana said.


End file.
